Toy football game



April'l7, 1934. c. A. WOOLSEY EI'AL TOY FOOTBALL GAME 7 Filed April 19, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVi/VTOIBS- CHARLEJA. waowzr? HENRY v. aowmw A T702 NE Y8 Am 9 WM; Q. A. WQOLSEY ET AL. fi swggm TOY FOOTBALL GAME Filed April 19, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m sa eegs2- nvvzlvrozs CHARLES A. WOOLSEY HE RYV. BOWMAN TOY FOOTBALL GAME Filed April .19, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN vmv T0125 HA ELEfiW. wooway HENY M BOW A TTORNE m A ril 17, 1934- c. A. wooLsEY ET AL 1,954,833

TOY FOOTBALL GAME Filed April '19, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVN7'OB3 011421.419 4W0 OL$Y AYTTORNE Y6 April 17, 1934. c. A. WOOLSEY ET AL TOY FOOTBALL GAME Filed April 19, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 11v vzlv-razs Cl/ABLES AJVO 0565 uslvgr v. ecu/MA A TTORNE ya Patented Apr. 17, 1934 1,954,838 TOY FOOTBALL GAME Charles A. Woolsey and Henry Minneapolis, Minn,

V. Bowman, assignors to Hins'dale Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 19, 1930, Serial No. 445,625 8 Claims. (01. 273-94) This invention relates to a toy football game and an object of the invention is to provide such a game which may be played under regular playing rules to the end that the players may instinctively acquire a knowledge of the game as it is Ordinarily played, thereby training the minds of the players and familiarizing them with the game of football.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy football game comprising a member marked off to represent a football field and having an upright wall positioned at one side of said member provided with suitable apertures through which a miniature football may be projected.

'A further object is to provide a toy football game comprising a member adapted to simulate a football field and means thereon for recording the plays of the game, and a box-like structure being arranged at one side thereof and provided with spaced-apart apertures through which a miniature football may be projected by a mechanical kicker stationed at the opposite side of the field, and which is adapted to be operated by the players, and wing members being hinged to said 25 box-like structure.

A further object is character described including a mechanical kicker mounted upon a portable base whereby the kicker may be moved about from place to .place by the player, and a tee being adjustably supported upon said base member adapted to support a miniature football in proper position for the kicker to kick it and project it in a direction towards a perforated wall, and the adjustability of the tee upon the base permitting the player to position the ball thereon in such a manner that the kicker may be caused to project the ball through a selected opening in said perforated wall.

Other objects of the invention reside in the general construction of the apparatus whereby it may be folded into a compact package or bundle when not in use; in the construction of the boxlike structure into which the football may be projected through the apertures provided in the front wall thereof, in the means provided for causing the ball to be discharged from said structure when projected through an aperture in thefront 0 wall thereof, in the novel means provided for recording the movement of an imaginary team upon the football field or gridiron, and whereby an accurate record may be kept of the yards gained and lost by each player; and in the general construction of the kicker and the adjustunderstood that the invention is to provide a game of the erative position,

able tee whereon the football is placed for the kicker, to kick it. 7

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out'the various objects of the invention, but it is to be not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing it setup ready for play;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the box-like structure;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the game completely folded;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the member upon which the plays are recorded;

Figure 5 is a front view of the kicker showin a miniature football positioned upon the tee;

Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure '1;

Figure -'7 is a vertical sectional view on the line '7-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a bottom view of Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 6, showing how the football may be relatively adjusted upon the base member of the kicker by adjusting the position of the tee thereon and tilting the ball upon the tee;

, Figure 10 is a view illustrating a modified construction wherein the play recording member shown in the previous figures is attached to the box-like structure;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view of Figure 10, showing a flexible member positioned within the box-like structure adapted to be impinged by the ball and to prevent rebounding thereof; and

Figure 12 is an enlarged detail view on the line 12-12 of Figure 11.

The novel toy football game featured in this 100 invention comprises a box-like structure 60 ineluding front and rear walls 61 and 62, respectively, and provided at its bottom with an inclined plate 63. Wings 64 are suitably hinged p to the forward corners of the structure and funotion to retain the apparatus in an upright opas shown in Figures 1 and 2. The front wall 61 is provided with a plurality of suitably shaped apertures 65, 66, 6'7, 68, and 69, preferably arranged as shown in Figure 1. An

.ward Pass, Line Play,

elongated opening 70 is provided in the front wall 14 at the bottom of the structure.

A suitable board 71, which in the present in stance, is detached from the structure 60, is adapted to be placed upon the table or floor upon which the game is to be played, a predetermined distance from the front wall 61 of the structure, as best shown in Figure 1. A portion of the surface of this board is marked off to represent a football field or gridiron, as indicated at 72 in Figures 1 and 4, and the yard lines are preferably noted as shown, so as to indicate the exact position of the football on the field, while in play.

Two rows of holes or apertures 73 and 74 are provided in the board, and the spacing between the holes in each row preferably represents one yard. A U-shaped member 75, preferably formed of wire, has its legs spaced apart "ten yards. This member is inserted into two of the apertures in, for example, the row 73, as shown in Figure 4, and indicates the usual ten yards to be made by the player to retain the ball. A suitable peg 76 is adapted to be inserted into the holes in the row 74, and indicates the exact position of the ball upon the gridiron.

Plays common to the game of football such, for example, as End Run, Field Goal, Forand Penalty, are preferably printed upon the surface of the board 71, as indicated in Figures 1 and 4, and each such expression may be accompanied by a symbol denoting the yardage gained or lost for each play.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means provided for projecting the miniature football 49 towards the upright or apertured wall 61 and through a selected aperture therein. To thus project the ball, a mechanical kicker is provided comprising a body portion 33, representing a football player, and here shown having the left leg 34 suitably secured to a portable base 35 which is movable about the table or floor adjacent to the board 72, as indicated by the full and dotted lines in Figure 1. The right leg 36 of the kicker is shown hinged to the body portion by means of a short shaft 37 mounted for rocking movement and having a segmental pinion 38 terminally secured thereto, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. A rack bar 39 is slidable in suitable bearings provided in the fixed leg 34 and is in constant mesh with the pinion 38, as best shown in Figure 7.

The lower end of the rack bar 39 is adapted to engage a suitable spring 41 secured to the upper wall of the base 35 by such means asrivets 42. A notch 43 is provided in the rack bar 39 adapted to receive one end of a slide 44 mounted for sliding movement on the upper wall of the base 35, as will readily be understood by reference to Figures 7 and 8. When the slide 44 is engaged with the notch 43 in the rack bar 39, the leg 36 of the kicker will be positioned as shown in full lines in Figure 7, ready for action.

A small trigger 45 is pivoted to a bracket 46 situated within the base 35, and projects through a slot 47 in the upper wall of the base where it may be actuated by the operator as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 7. When the trigger is moved from the full to the dotted line position, shown in Figure 7, the slide 44 will be moved out of engagement with the notch 43 in the rack bar, thereby permitting the spring 41 to suddenly move the rack bar upwardly with the result that the movable leg 36 will be swung from the full to the dotted line position, in

Figure 7. To return the leg 36 to its operative position as shown in full lines, the player or operator will manually swing the leg backwardly, whereupon a small tension spring 48 will cause the slide 44 to move into locking engagement with the notch 43 and thus lock the leg 36 in operative position. A cover plate 50 provides a closure for the bottom of the base 35.

Another feature resides in the means provided for supporting the miniature football 49 in position to be engaged by the leg 36. Such means is shown in Figures 5, 6, '7, and 9, inclusive, and comprises a tee 51 slidably mounted upon the upper wall of the base 35 by such means as screws or pins 52, movable in a slot 53. The slot 53 permits the tee to be moved in a direction lengthwise of the base 35, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 9. In other words, by means of this slot, the ball may be moved towards or away fromthe player to control the flight of the ball when it is struck by the toe of the leg 36. The tee, it will be noted, is also provided with a socket or depression 54 adapted to receive and support the football 49. By means of the tee, the position of the ball may be adjusted with respect to the movable leg 36 of the kicker, as indicated by the full and dotted lines in Figure 9, so as to permit the player to project the ball at and through a selected aperture in the wall 61, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

By properly adjusting the tee upon the base 35 of the kicker, and positioning the ball at the proper angle upon the tee, the kicker may be caused to project the ball through a selected aperture provided, of course, that the kicker is also accurately alined with the chosen aperture. Bychanging the position of the tee upon the base and also the angle of the ball upon the tee, the ball may be caused to travel at high or low elevation, as desired, indicated by the broken lines in Figure 1.

The wings 64 are suitably hinged to the boxlike structure 60 so that they may be spread out as shown in Figure 1 to provide means for interrupting the travel of the ball, should the player accidentally miss the apertured wall 61, when manipulating the kicker 33. The wings 64 may also be folded against the front wall 61, when the game is not in use, as shown in Figure 3, whereby the apparatus may be folded into a small compact box-like parcel which may be stored in a comparatively small space when not in use. The surfaces of the wing members 64 and also the exposed surface of the apertured wall 61 may be provided with suitable designs or figures representing, football players, as best shown in Figure 1.

In playing the game, one of the players will place the football 49 upon the tee 51 and operate the kicker to cause it to project the ball from the tee in a direction towards the perforated wall 61. Preferably, the player, before operating the kicker, calls his play and the number of yards he wishes to gain which, of course, will determine the aperture through which he expects fto project the ball. For example, if the player calls a forward pass of twenty yards, he must project the football through the aperture 67 in the wall 61 in order to complete the pass. If he is unsuccessful in his,attempt to project the ball through the aperture 67, he must take a loss of one-half the number of yards called, or ten yards. This simple rule may apply to all plays. If a player accidentally projects the ball through the penalty aperture 68, he must suffer a loss of five It will thus be seen that the game may be played in a manner very similar to a regular football game.

Figures 10, 11, and 12 illustrate a modified construction comprising a'member 2, preferably of flat material such, for example, as card board, and having aportion of its surface marked off to simulate a football field or gridiron. The end portion 3 of the base member is preferably laid off in areas 4 and 5, from which the players must shoot or kick the ball, when projecting the latter through space. 1

An elongated cleat or strip 6, preferably of wood, is secured to the base member 2 in the position shown in Figures 10 and 11. This cleat is laid off in yard lines in a manner similar to the board 71, shown in Figures 1 and.4. A series of sockets or perforations 7 are provided in the cleat 6 lengthwise thereof, and these are preferably spaced one yard apart and are adapted to receive pegs 8, as shown in Figure 12. The pegs are used to indicate the position of the'ball upon the field and the yardage gained or lost by the player.

A box-like structure 10 is provided at one end of the base member 2, and comprises a back wall 9, top wall 11, bottom 12, side walls 13, and the front wall 14, the latter'being provided with a plurality of apertures here shown numbered 15 to 27, inclusive, as best shown in Figure 10. These apertures are preferably of various shapes and sizes, and are located in different positions in the wall 14. The lower edge 28 of the front wall 14 is spaced from the base member 2 to permit the football to be discharged from the interior of the structure 10, when projected through a selected aperture in the wall 14.

A flexible member 29 is disposed within the boxlike structure between the front and rear walls 14 and 9, respectively, as shown in Figure 11, and has its upper edge suitably secured to the top wall 11 and its lower edge secured to an inclined plate 31, arranged over the bottom 12. 7

Wing members 32 are hinged to the box-like structure 10 at opposite sides of the base member 2 and are adapted to be swung outwardly to the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. The perfoe rated wall 14 may have printed thereon figures representing football players, such a figure preferably being provided at each aperture.

The base member 2 is preferably provided with a section 55 situated between the cleat 6 and a line 56, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, upon which may be noted the various positions played by the members of each team as, for example, Left half back, Quarterback, Right half-back, Center, Fullback, etc. Corresponding positions are likewise noted upon the upright wall 14, beneath the apertures provided therein, as shown in Figure 1. Beneath the positions noted upon the section 55, may be printed various plays of the game in a manner similar to that denoted upon the board 71.

The flexible member 29 provided within the box-like structure 10 functions to cushion the ball to prevent it from rebounding backwardly through an aperture in the wall 14. When the ball passes through one of the apertures in the w front wall 14, it will impinge against the member 29 and drop by gravity onto the inclined plate 31, and thence outwardly onto the base member 2, where it may be retrieved by the player.

The apparatus disclosed in Figures 10 and 11 a is preferablyconstructed of sheet material such as suitable card board, and the sections thereof are hinged together, as indicatedat 57, 58, and 59, in the drawings, so that when the apparatus is not in use, it may be folded into a compact bundle for convenient storage.

We claim as our invention:

1. A base having a kicker mounted thereon and adapted to kick a miniature football, a tee mounted for horizontal sliding movement uponsaid base and having a socket therein of sufficient depth and of suitable shape to support an oval shaped football in various positions to be kicked by said kicker means for attaching the tee to the base and guiding it in its sliding movement, the relative position of the ball onsaid tee, and the relative position of the tee on said base determining the path traveled by the football when projecte from the tee by the kicker. l

2. A base having amechanical kicker mounted thereon, said kicker comprising a body portion simulating a football player and provided with a movable leg, means for actuating said leg, a tee mounted upon saidbase means for adjustably attaching the tee to the base whereby it is movable in a horizontal direction towards and away from said movable leg, a concave seat in said tee adapted to receive and support a miniature football, said tee permitting the ball to be positioned at various angles, and the relative position of the tee upon the base and the angularity of the ball upon the tee determining the path traveled by the ball when projected from the tee by the movable leg of the kicker. 115

3. A base having a mechanical kicker mounted thereon, said kicker comprising a body portion simulating a football player and provided with a spring-actuated leg, a tee mounted upon said base and movable in a direction towards and away from said movable le 9, concaved seat in said tee adapted to receive and support a miniature football, said tee permitting the ball to be positioned at various angles headed pins engaging with the tee and extending through a slot in the base for adjustably securing the tee to the base, and the relative position of the tee upon said base and the angularity of the ball upon the tee determining the path traveled by the ball when projected from the tee by said kicker means for retaining said movable leg in operative position, and means for releasing said retaining means.

4. In a toy football game, a base having a mechanical kicker mounted thereon, said kicker comprising a body portion simulating av football player and provided with a spring-actuated leg having a pinion secured thereto, a rack bar movable in said body portion and having a spring constantly urging it in one direction, a trip for retaining said rack bar and said leg in an operative position, a tee mounted upon said base and adapted to receive and support a football in a position to be kicked by said leg when the latter is released, and a trigger adapted to be actuated by the player to release said trip, whereby said spring-actuated leg will be operated to cause it to strike the ball and project the latter from the tee.

5. In a toy football game, a base having a mechanical kicker mounted thereon, said kicker having a body portion simulating a football player and provided with a movable leg and a fixed leg, a horizontal pivot for said movableleg, a

member in said fixed leg engaged with said pivot and projecting" into said base, means on the base for supporting a miniature football, and means within the base for operating said member whereby said movable leg will be actuated to project said ball from said ball-supporting means.

6. In a toyfootball game, a base having a' mechanical kicker mounted thereon, said kicker comprising a body portion simulating a football player supported upon a fixed leg secured to said base, a leg movably mounted on said body portion and having a horizontal pivot, amember mounted for vertical movement'within said fixed leg and having its'upperportion operatively connected with said pivot, means within the base constantly urging said member in a direc,-' tion to actuate said movable leg, means for supporting a' miniature football upon said base in comprising a body portion simulating a football player having a fixed leg and a movable leg, a

pivot for said movable leg, a member mounted for .supportinga miniature football upon said base in position to be kicked by said movable leg, a'notch in the lower end of said member, a detent adapted to. engage said notch and lock said member in operative position, and means for moving said detent out of locking engagement with said member whereby the latter will be operated by said spring and. cause said movable leg to project the ball from said ball-supporting means.

8. In a toy, the combination of a base having a slot therein, a tee slidably mounted on the base, fastening members secured to the tee and projecting through said slot and having enlargements on'the under side of the base for attaching the tee to the base, and a kicker mounted on said base adapted to kick an object positioned on said tee, the arrangement being such that the tee may be adjusted to place the object in difierent positions for receiving the blow.

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY. HENRY V. BOWMAN. 

